With the prolonged operation license now granted to reactor No. 2, all four reactors at Kola nuclear power plant (NPP) have received extensions. Reactor No. 1 will run until 2033, No. 3 until 2027 and No. 4 until 2029.

It was on December 20th, Rostekhnadzor, Russia’s Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision, issued the additional 15 years license for reactor No. 2, Rosatom informs.

This reactor started commercial operation February 1975 and is of the first generation Soviet designed water-cooled VVER-440/230 type.

Kola NPP is one of three nuclear power plants located inside the Arctic Circle in Russia. The two others are Bilibino NPP and the “Akademik Lomonosov” floating nuclear power plant that was connected to the local grid in the remote Arctic port of Pevek last week.

Providing about 60% of all electricity produced in the Murmansk region, the Kola NPP is both a guarantee for reliable energy supply to the region as well as stimulating to creation of new energy-intensive industry in the region, Rosatom says and ensures that the 4,5 billion rubles invested to prolong the life-time of Reactor No. 2 guarantees safe operation.

Rostekhnadzor, however, reported about several violations of norms and rules at Kola NPP after an inspection in September this year. In all, 24 violations of nuclear safety norms and rules were discovered, of which 9 were fixed during the inspection period, while orders were issued to eliminate the 15 others, the agency reported.